SDO9599 - Dorchester, St John Ambulance Hall, North Square. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society

Terrain Archaeology was commissioned by Signpost Housing Association to carry out an archaeological evaluation of the former St John Ambulance Hall, North Square, Dorchester, during February 2000. Four hand dug test pits were excavated. Roman levels were only encountered in a single test pit on the Friary Lane frontage. Here, part of mortared flint and limestone wall was exposed. A later Roman chalk surface covered the remains of this wall. The remains of two successive post-medieval buildings fronting onto Friary Lane were also discovered. In the corner of North Square and Friary Lane, all archaeological deposits had been destroyed by cellaring. To the east of the hall, at the rear of the property, 19th century deposits over 1.6m deep were encountered, indicating there had been substantial landscaping of this area.